D&D General 5e D&D to OSR pipeline or circle?

[pete284]

I'm currently running one 5e game (7th level PCs) and two OSR games (Swords & Wizardry Complete and Shadowdark). All are using the same players. As a GM I enjoy running the two OSR games more as there is less prep and they are easier to run. There is not a lot between the two OSR games, SD works better online mainly due to the light mechanic in Foundry. If I didn't own SD I wouldn't buy it again if I already had S&W, but think it is a good choice as any if you don't own any OSR rules. We have had more character deaths in 6 OSR games than in 4 years of several 5e campaigns already. One benefit it has given players a chance to try several different classes they wouldn't choose out of a 5e game when they use a tandard array.

I have noticed the players play very differently in the OSR games, they they a lot more thoughtful on decision-making; are very careful of what they fight and and do more RP with potential enemies (trying to avoid combat or recruit them as hirelings). 5e they treat very much as a video game and trying to maximise every turn using abilities and spells.

As a GM I prefer the OSR but my players seem to like both in different ways, for different experiences.

 

[Shardstone]

I'm currently running one 5e game (7th level PCs) and two OSR games (Swords & Wizardry Complete and Shadowdark). All are using the same players. As a GM I enjoy running the two OSR games more as there is less prep and they are easier to run. There is not a lot between the two OSR games, SD works better online mainly due to the light mechanic in Foundry. If I didn't own SD I wouldn't buy it again if I already had S&W, but think it is a good choice as any if you don't own any OSR rules. We have had more character deaths in 6 OSR games than in 4 years of several 5e campaigns already. One benefit it has given players a chance to try several different classes they wouldn't choose out of a 5e game when they use a tandard array.

I have noticed the players play very differently in the OSR games, they they a lot more thoughtful on decision-making; are very careful of what they fight and and do more RP with potential enemies (trying to avoid combat or recruit them as hirelings). 5e they treat very much as a video game and trying to maximise every turn using abilities and spells.

As a GM I prefer the OSR but my players seem to like both in different ways, for different experiences.

I'm starting to form a theory that low prep is the key that most people who are pro-OSR want, as the low prep leads to more thinking on the "texture" of the game as opposed to the mechanics, thus creating deeper challenges that require more thought from the players.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I got my quota filled of 5E, 7 campaigns and over 1000 hours of play time. I started a ad&d 1e campaign in November, so this is a recent experiment. I played ad&d late 80's, some nostalgia involved, but even if the name of the game is same than the 5E -version it is a different game. I like low hit points, constant feeling of danger for players, xp from gp, simple characters with clear character roles. System is a mess of course, remains to be seen how long this lasts.

Even if you don't play them, it'd be worth picking up the PDFs of some OSR games (as always, the Shadowdark quickstart rules are free, for instance) to see if you wanted to poach some usability fixes from them for your 1E game. You can still get 99% of the same vibes, in my experience, while not being tethered to some of the clunkiest bits of the game from the 1970s.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As a GM I prefer the OSR but my players seem to like both in different ways, for different experiences.

Yeah, people like to frame this issue as an either/or, but I honestly view 5E and OSR as very different games that just happen to be under the same fantasy umbrella, much like the Godfather and John Wick are nominally both crime fiction.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Yeah, people like to frame this issue as an either/or, but I honestly view 5E and OSR as very different games that just happen to be under the same fantasy umbrella, much like the Godfather and John Wick are nominally both crime fiction.

The thing with D&D is that half the table is there for Godfather and half is there for John Wick.

 

[Chaltab]

The thing with D&D is that half the table is there for Godfather and half is there for John Wick.

Dammit now you've made me want to see a crossover.

Wick v Corleone, Don of Justice

 

[Bill Zebub]

Hey folks for those of you who migrated from 5e to more OSR style games, what prompted you to take the step?
For me it was the playability of the modules, I felt that OSR games are written to be easy as possible for a DM to run. 5e modules/ material by contrast seems to me to now be a bit waffly taking 80 pages vs the OSR 8 pages.

I agree with you about the the playability of modules, but I strongly disagree that it's an OSR thing in general.

I stumbled across Kelsey Dionne's "Skyhorn Lighthouse" modules, and had a minor religious conversion when I started reading them. So when I learned about Shadowdark I was excited.

But in general I find a lot of...most of...OSR modules to be written in that 1980's esque overly verbose format that stayed awake at night reading at the time, but that now I find so completely unreadable.

The bigger factor for me, though, was that I eventually realized that all the rules bloat, and "buttons to push on the character sheet" were not making the game any better. And although I had already decided to switch to Shadowdark by the time Weapon Masteries were announced, that was the final nail that convinced me to not go back to D&D.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

But in general I find a lot of...most of...OSR modules to be written in that 1980's esque overly verbose format that stayed awake at night reading at the time, but that now I find so completely unreadable.

Yikes. Can you remember which ones? I've found modern OSR modules to be the exact opposite. If anything, there's a danger of them being too terse.

 

[Evaniel]

Don of Justice

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[Malmuria]

More OSR adventures:

YOU CAN KEEP YOUR BORDERLANDS: Adventure Suggestions for Those New to the OSR

While many assume the OSR is dead, you would not know it from the discussion on Bluesky generated by Yochai’s OSR starter packs feeding into...

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